The ‘Urban Cowboy’ Cast Is Still Successful 43 Years After They Arrived At Gilley’s Bar

Sep 04, 2023

People in the 1980s knew how iconic the romantic drama film “Urban Cowboy” was. Directed by famed filmmaker James Bridges, the movie transported its viewers to the world of urban cowboy scenes in Houston, Texas. 

Exploring the love, budding relationships, and the idea of traditional cowboy values and urban life, the film was also credited for the mainstream revival of country and western music in the early 1980s, which was led by Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Rogers, and Dan Fogelberg, who all featured on the film’s original soundtrack. 

In 2015, Fox and Paramount announced that the film would be relaunched into a television series. However, it was eventually canceled. In 2022, it was in talks to be revived on Paramount+, but nothing has been heard since then. 

The film follows the story of Bud Davis, played by John Travolta, who relocated to Houston, Texas to work. He then became captivated by the local honky-tonk culture of the area, which included dancing, mechanical bull riding and country music. 

The film centered on Travolta’s character and his love for Debra Winger’s character Sissy, and how their eventual marriage experienced conflict with the arrival of Scott Glenn’s character Wes Hightower. 

“Urban Cowboy” was a critically acclaimed film. The film’s premiere night was even attended by the likes of Jerry Hall and Andy Warhol, and the official soundtrack was deemed a cultural touchstone at the time. 

The cast was equally star-studded, as many of them became huge stars nowadays. Read on to learn more about what the stars are up to now. 

Several country music artists appeared as themselves in “Urban Cowboy.” Among those were Bonnie Raitt, Mickey Gilley, Charlie Daniels and even Johnny Lee. They all became successful musicians in the industry

Raitt is a widely-successful musician and a 13-time Grammy winner. She was also ranked one of the Greatest Singers and Guitarists of All Time, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received the Icon Award from the Billboard Women in Music Awards. 

Lee, on the other hand, has also received huge acclaim, he went on to rack up multiple country music hits and is a renowned crossover hitmaker. 

Gilley transitioned from country to pop sound after the revival of country music in the '80s. He passed away in May 2022 due to complications from bone cancer. Daniels died in 2020 due to a hemorrhagic stroke at the age of 83. He was a successful musician as he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Little is known about Brooke Alderson, the encouraging auntie of Travolta in the film. Her last film credit, based on IMDb was in 1995 on the Arme Glimcher film “Just Cause.” 

Madolyn Smith’s film debut in “Urban Cowboy” sealed her various film appearances until 1994. She was also cast in “2010: The Year We Make Contact”  and “Funny Farm”

Barry Corbin, the Rodeo champion who the main character trained in the film, was a Primetime Emmy nominee for his role as Maurice Minnifield on the television show "Northern Exposure." He was also a guest star on the Western TV series “Yellowstone” led by Kevin Costner, and on “Tulsa King,” which saw Sylvester Stallone’s television debut.

Glenn is a versatile actor who went on to have a huge career following his starring role in “Urban Cowboy.” His most notable films included “The Right Stuff,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Absolute Power,” “The Bourne Ultimatum,” and he even played the master martial artist Stick in the Marvel miniseries “Daredevil” and “The Defenders.” 

The same can be said of Winger as she achieved remarkable success in her career after the release of “Urban Cowboy.” She received three nominations for an Academy Award for Best Actress in “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “Terms of Endearment” and “Shadowlands.” 

Winger was nominated for a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, and New Star of the Year for her role in “Urban Cowboy.” Winger is enjoying her life as she aged gracefully with her gray hair while enjoying the outdoors in her own tractor on a farm.  

Travolta’s career continued to soar, and he went on to star in a string of successful films, including "Pulp Fiction," which earned him an Academy Award nomination. 

Travolta’s personal life has been marred by personal tragedies over the past few years. His wife, Kelly Preston, whom he married in 1991 and with whom he had three children, passed away in 2020 after a battle with breast cancer.

In “Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's,” Travolta reflected on how the casting choice back then would have raised eyebrows. 

"I felt like I had established, between Boy in the Plastic Bubble and Carrie and Saturday Night Fever, that I was indeed an actor. That was my job," he told Entertainment Tonight in 2015. "If probably there were any skeptics, it might have been maybe the local person. 'Can the city guy do this or not?'”

Have you watched “Urban Cowboy” before? Can you believe it has been 43 years since that movie? What can you say about the film’s cast now? Let us know, and pass this on to your family and friends!